


A Personal Touch

by DragonHoardsBooks



Series: The Key to Victory [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Anakin makes friends, Communication is the key to any relationship, Gen, Jedi Culture, Misunderstandings, Obi-Wan and Anakin have a talk, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-02-12 13:16:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12960012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonHoardsBooks/pseuds/DragonHoardsBooks
Summary: New jedi padawan Anakin Skywalker realizes that there is more to being a jedi then he tought. Discovering a completely new culture will take time and effort, but maybe he'll make some friends along the way.





	1. Chapter 1

Anakin Skywalker lay in his bed and desperately tried not to cry. It was just so _unfair_. He had been a padawan for barely a month and already he was sick of it. The sideways glances, whispers that stopped as soon as he came near and worst of all: The other padawans. While older jedi treated him mostly like a curiosity, the children his age considered him an intruder. They told him he didn’t belong with every turned shoulder and game he was not invited to join. Anakin did not understand what he had done to cause this. Even though he was older, he spent much more time with the younger initiates, learning concepts everyone else his age already understood.

Maybe they were right. Maybe it had been a mistake to come here. Anakin longed for the easy companionship he had back on Tatooine where casual touches and hugs had been easy as breathing. Here everyone was so distant. Even Obi-Wan barely touched him and rarely smiled. Although he made sure that Anakin had everything he might need, answered Anakin’s questions and was incredibly patient when teaching, Anakin still didn’t feel like Obi-Wan really cared. It made Anakin miss his mother terribly. If she were here, she would smile and hug him and tell him it would be all right.

Memories of home were interrupted by the quiet hissing of the opening door and Anakin realized he had been crying after all. He heard the quiet and already so familiar footsteps of Obi-Wan come closer and a weight settle next to him on the bed. Then slowly, hesitantly, _amazingly_ , a hand touched his shoulder and started to slowly pet him. The unexpected comfort was such a surprise that Anakin’s last bits of self-control disappeared. The quiet tears turned into loud, uncontrollable sobs. Obi-Wan still did not say anything. Instead, quiet singing filled the room, barely audible. If there were actual words, they were not in a language Anakin could understand.

They stayed this way, until Anakin’s tears turned into trickles and finally stopped. His breathing evened out and the steady petting slowly removed the tension from his body. Listening to the soothing sound of Obi-Wan’s voice, Anakin fell asleep.

 

When Anakin woke up the next morning, there was no trace of Obi-Wan in the room. He got up and hesitantly walked towards the door. Anakin really didn’t want to face Obi-Wan right now, with the previous night stark in his memory. Obi-Wan would surely admonish him about proper conduct again and that jedi did not feel homesick and Anakin should be grateful for the opportunity to learn, anyway.

But. Obi-Wan _had_ come to comfort him, even if it was just a hand on his shoulder. He had interrupted the meditation Anakin knew he did every day at that hour and spend his time sitting with Anakin. Maybe it would be all right after all. Anakin took a deep breath and opened the door.

Obi-Wan was seated at the table with his customary cup of tea in one hand and a datapad in his other, breakfast ready on the table. He looked up when he heard Anakin come closer.

“Good morning, Anakin”, he greeted and gave Anakin one of his small, rare smiles.

Anakin debated for a moment if he should apologize for disturbing Obi-Wan last night, but settled instead for simply returning the greeting: “Good morning, Obi-Wan.”

Although he did not feel hungry, Anakin joined Obi-Wan at the table and slowly put food on his plate.

“How are you, Anakin?” Obi-Wan asked, just as the silence that had settled around them had become almost unbearable.

“Fine”, Anakin muttered, looking down at his plate. The fruit he normally loved to eat was a small pile of mush. The part of him that had been raised to never waste food was cringing. _I should just have stayed in my room today._

Obi-Wan made a noncommittal sound, disbelief clearly audible in his voice. “If you say so.”

Just as Anakin decided he was done mangling breakfast and considered retreating to his room until it was time for his lessons, Obi-Wan softly asked: “Do you want to talk about it?”

A myriad of answers flitted through his mind. _I hate it here. Nobody likes me. I want to go home._ He didn’t want to say any of them. Anakin intended to say that everything was fine, just as he always did, but instead his pain and fear just flowed out of him:

“Why don’t you like me? I try to do everything you want, to be a perfect padawan, but you can’t even stand to touch me!”

After he almost shouted the last sentence, Anakin looked in Obi-Wan’s face. There was concern there, confusion, astonishment.

“But…you….because…”, he stuttered. Then understanding dawned on his face. He slowly set down his teacup and buried his face in his hands.

“I’m such an idiot”, he exclaimed, his voice muffled, “Why didn’t I think of that?” He looked up.

“I avoid touching you, because you have not given me permission to do so.”

Before Anakin could voice his confusion over that sentence, Obi-Wan stood and made his way to the kitchen.

“I’ll make more tea. Anakin, it seems we should have a long talk.”

 

When Anakin settled on the couch across from Obi-Wan, the other gave him a long look. He took a sip from the refilled teacup and then started to speak:

“First, I want to apologize, Anakin. I should have realized that some things that seen natural to me would be entirely unknown to you.

“You see, with being force-sensitive may come a wide variety of different abilities, some of which can be activated by touch.”

Anakin blinked. Looking back, he noticed that Obi-Wan sometimes hesitated to touch things. During the trip to the crystal-lab to get new lightsaber-crystals for both of them, Obi-Wan had kept his hands firmly inside of his sleeves whenever possible. At least some things started to make sense. “So you don’t touch me because it could trigger…what, exactly?”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “Some objects can give me visions, very rarely people too. But that is not the reason at all. Though I believe you understand the underlying concept. In a temple full of jedi with varying abilities, what do you think is the norm when it comes to physical interaction?”

Understanding dawned like the first sunrise on Tatooine. “Things like shaking hands could cause anything. So you wouldn’t do that if you don’t know the other.”

The proud smile he got in response was wonderful. “Exactly so. This concept extends to when jedi are very young. From the crèche onwards we are encouraged to develop and express our own autonomy. In addition to abilities, different people have different levels of comfort with physical interaction. Some may hug others indiscriminately all the time, while others are only comfortable with interaction between close friends. All of this together means that touching without permission is considered highly offensive.

“However”, Obi-Wan fixated Anakin with a look, “once you are accepted as a padawan, you and your master are supposed to work out between the two of you what level of interaction is comfortable to you both. In this the master will always have his padawan’s comfort as his priority.”

He looked to the side. “Or he’s supposed to, anyway.”

Anakin was surprised to hear the hint of bitterness in Obi-Wan’s muttered addition. Obi-Wan’s master had been Qui-Gon, who had seemed kind and considerate. _You only knew him a couple of days,_ his consciousness whispered to him. _And you did not see his and Obi-Wan’s interactions at all._ Before Anakin could continue this train of thought or ask Obi-Wan about it, Obi-Wan had already continued speaking.

“Anakin, we should have had this conversation weeks ago. I should have noticed that you did not understand this. Now, let me state it clearly: You should and you will always receive any comfort you ask of me, whether you need a hug or you need to be alone in your room for a couple of hours.”

That was it. All the weeks of feeling lonely and confused because Anakin grew up in a culture where everyone touched everyone else, as comfort was sometimes the only thing slaves had to give freely. Obi-Wan was raised to respect personal boundaries to an almost frightening extent. Anakin was not sure if he liked it, but a least he could understand it now. Was it really as simple as asking? He had to try.

“Master, may I have a hug?” In what seemed no time at all Obi-Wan was kneeling in front of him and put his arms around Anakin. Suddenly he understood that Obi-Wan might have wanted a hug as much as Anakin did. But the padawan’s comfort was first. His perception on the last weeks took a complete new direction. This was the first time in his life he had his own autonomy respected to such an extent. He burrowed closer into Obi-Wan’s shoulder. Although hugging Obi-Wan was different that hugging his mother, Anakin finally felt welcome. He was home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to the awesome [Jahaliel](https://jahaliel.tumblr.com/) who really helped me with this chapter, especially with giving live to the adorable OCs that show up

Due to his talk with Obi-wan, Anakin had missed his first class of the day. He was still distracted when he entered the classroom, but Philosophies of the Jedi Order had now gained a new significance in his life. As Obi-wan had told him before he left their quarters, _everything comes from somewhere. If you don’t understand the present, try looking into the past._ That made a lot of sense, now that he understood that the jedi had different behaviors, a different culture than the rest of the galaxy. Learning how and why it had developed should help him fit in. He just wished Master Sartin wouldn’t drone so much. No matter his good intentions, Anakin’s attention wandered towards the other children in the class. Some of them were padawans, some were initiates, and all of them disliked him. But why?

 _Everything comes from somewhere_. Had he done something? But they were hostile from the start. Or weren’t they? Anakin replayed the first day of classes in his mind. Obi-Wan had escorted him to the classroom and introduced him to the teaching master. The master had introduced him to the class and…and their faces were friendly. Curious maybe, but not hostile for the most part. After class Anakin had wanted to introduce himself. He had walked towards one group, told them his name and held out his hand, just like he had done his whole life when meeting people. _Touching without permission is considered highly offensive_ , Obi-Wan’s words echoed through Anakin’s mind. How could he have been so stupid? He had offended basically everyone with one thoughtless act. He had to make this right.

After the class ended, Anakin approached the very same group nervously. The Trandoshan turned towards him and hissed, his aggression clearly audible. The girl raised her head from her datapad and narrowed her eyes dangerously. The Nautolan took a step backwards and was instantly shielded by his two friends. Anakin stopped at what he hoped was a respectable distance and bowed. Shit, was there a system for bowing? Probably yes, he’d have to ask Obi-wan later. “Could I have a moment of your time, please?” he asked.

“What for?” the Trandoshan hissed.

Anakin hoped that being honest would be enough. “I wish to apologize. When I approached you before I did not want to make you uncomfortable or offend you. I was not aware my behavior was not acceptable.”

“How can you not know something this basic?” the girl interrupted him. Anakin noticed that she did not wear a braid and so was likely still an initiate. She had probably never left the temple before. Suddenly he the thought entered his mind that padawans had the same talk with their masters as he had just had with Obi-Wan, only in reverse. The some-people-shake-hands-in-greeting-talk. “Where I grew up, handshakes are a common greeting. I didn’t know it’s different here, Master Obi-Wan only explained about it this morning. There’s probably loads of stuff I still don’t know.”

“Nobody told you? About anything?” the Trandoshan still sounded angry, but Anakin had the feeling that at least this time it wasn’t directed at him.

“Well, shit. We didn’t exactly help either”, the Nautolan blurted out. “We could have at least told him he was offensive. This could have been so much simpler. Some padawan I am, to confuse being clueless with being malicious.”

Anakin decided he liked him. Her? He had no idea how to tell with Nautolans. “Yes, please tell me when I’m being stupid, I don’t get subtlety all that much, really. On that note, is it offensive to ask if you are he or she? Your species isn’t exactly abundant on desert planets you know.”

“It’s not offensive. But you might want to talk with your master about proper ways to ask. I prefer they, my name is Elon Des. These are Fessk, who’s a he if you also can’t tell, and Naruhir.” The Trandoshan nodded and the girl smiled, her expression a lot more friendly that before. The moment was interrupted by the growling of Anakin’s stomach. He hadn’t exactly had an abundant breakfast.

“So, lunch, I’m starving. You can come along, rude one.” Fessk turned around and stalked off.

“Sorry, he always gets a bit short when he’s both hungry and cold. But yes, come with us. A desert planet sounds horrible and you have to tell me all about it, Padawan Skywalker.” Elon Des’s head-tails twitched, which made Anakin wish he was more familiar with Nautolan body language. But still, he was glad things had turned out well.

“You can call me Anakin, if you want”, he offered, feeling quietly hopeful. Maybe he could finally make some friends.

 

Although he was sitting with people his own age for a change, Anakin still looked around for Obi-Wan, the habit was ingrained by now. His Master entered a short time after they had sat down at a small table on the side of the Eating Hall. When he spotted Anakin sitting with other children, he smile, raised an eyebrow and tilted his head questioningly. Anakin almost raised his hand to wave him over, but remembered in time that for once, he was not alone.

“Do you guys mind if my Master joins us for lunch?” he asked.

“Not at all”, Naruhir answered to headshakes of the others. Anakin frowned. Was her tone…exited, even reverent? While he was puzzling it out, Obi-Wan had gotten his food and wandered over on Anakin’s absent-minded signal.

“Good day to you, younglings. Anakin, introduce us, please.” The subtle reminder about the manners Obi-Wan relentlessly drilled him in kicked Anakin out of his thoughts and into action.

“Master, this is padawan Elon Des and initiates Naruhir and Fessk. Guys, this is my Master, Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

“A pleasure.”  Obi-wan somehow managed a small bow without tilting his tray and spilling his food. Anakin really hoped that skill was something he would learn. Next to Obi-wan’s casual elegance he always felt like a Hutt.

Anakin watched with silent admiration the way Obi-Wan seemed to direct the conversation without being controlling or overbearing at all. They talked about classes, the Crèche and Elon’s Master Aryn Olor, who was a Temple legend for almost inheriting a kingdom once. All of it while at the same time avoiding any personal details that Anakin might be uncomfortable talking about. He was pretty happy with the way things were going, until…

“Knight Kenobi, could you tell us about the Sith you killed?” At Elon’s question Obi-wan’s face turned hard and it felt like the temperature dropped by several degrees.

“Padawan Des, I believe your Master should explain the meaning of tact to you. You see, I don’t like to be reminded of the day my own Master died.” The wooden smile Obi-wan gave was all teeth and his voice could have frozen hardened bounty hunters in their tracks. Anakin felt like an idiot. He should have warned his new friends that Qui-Gon was a touchy subject. The others looked like they were just caught stealing from a street vendor.

“Oh shit”, Fessk whispered. Elon looked like he would jump out of a window to escape if one were available. They were saved from further verbal flaying by Naruhir, who seemed to have a knack for knowing what to say at the right time.

“I’m terribly sorry, Knight Kenobi. I’m sure Elon meant no offense. I think we all should remember that the padawan’s first rule is to observe before speaking”, Naruhir ventured with her head turned towards Elon in silent reproach.

“Actually, the padawan’s first rule is “Don’t get caught”. But I see your point, Naruhir. I suppose it’s the main subject for gossip in the temple at the moment. However, all of you should always bear in mind that a life taken shouldn’t be celebrated, no matter how deserving you believe it to be.” All four children inclined their head in understanding, though Anakin was confused. Was Obi-Wan not happy to have avenged Qui-Gon? He resolved to ask Obi-Wan about it later, this did not seem like a conversation in the middle of lunch after all.

“So, no gossiping. But could you help us with our lightsaber forms?” Naruhir asked.

“I can certainly do that, if your masters agree”, Obi-Wan answered, his good mood apparently restored. “Anakin and I have our own sparring time after lessons, but you may join us afterwards. I will see all of two hours before dinner.” Obi-Wan picked up his empty tray and disappeared in the mass of Jedi walking through the hall. The children looked after him.

“So sparring practice, huh? Why do you want Master Obi-Wan to teach you? Not that I mind, of course”, Anakin asked, bewildered. Obi-Wan was a new and relatively inexperienced knight after all, and the others were taught by experienced Jedi Masters.

“You’re kidding, right? Obi-Wan Kenobi has been the best fighter in the padawan set by a wide margin for years and he’s probably better than most knights already. Everyone had hopes of becoming his padawan. As if we’d pass up the chance to learn from him.” Fessk told him incredulously. Anakin hadn’t known that. But now that he thought about it, it made a lot of sense. Obi-Wan did beat a Sith when his own Master was killed, after all. But Qui-Gon had trained Obi-Wan, so shouldn’t he be at least as strong? He had to know. “What about Qui-Gon, then?”

“Qui-Gon Jinn was a respected Jedi Master, though everyone knows that he went against the will of the Council a lot. But I overheard Master Koon telling one of the Crèche Masters that it might be a good idea to keep Jinn away from the younglings, just in case. And rumor has it that at one point there was talk of putting him under an Interdiction.” Naruhir had whispered the last part, as though revealing an ugly secret. Anakin didn’t understand. This sounded like a bad thing, but Qui-Gon had been kind to him and freed him and promised to train him. _I promised I would ask if I didn’t understand something,_ he reminded himself. _And I don’t think Obi-Wan would like to talk about it_.

“What’s an Interdiction?”

“If a teaching Master leaves permanent emotional or physical scars on their padawan, either through their actions or through neglect, the padawan is taken from them and they’re forbidden from taking another. That’s what we call an Interdiction”, Elon answered.

What? Not Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon had freed him. Qui-Gon had promised to train him. But then Anakin remembered what Obi-Wan had said this morning. _The master will always have his padawan’s comfort as his priority. Or he’s supposed to, anyway._ That didn’t sound like being kind to Anakin. For a moment he was glad that Qui-Gon hadn’t lived to take him on as a padawan after all and then promptly felt bad about it. It was clear as day that Obi-Wan was grieving for Qui-Gon every day, so it couldn’t have been all bad.

“Thank you for telling me”, he said, “We should go to our next class.” The Eating Hall was clearing now and the children went on to their lessons, although Anakin had a class with the younger set next. But he was still pretty sure he had made new friends.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to [Jahaliel](https://jahaliel.tumblr.com/) for helping me turn this chapter into readable text.

About five weeks after their first conversation, Anakin burst into their corner of the Garden of a Thousand Fountains with an excited smile on his face. “Guys, guys, you won’t believe it!”

“Believe what?” Elon asked, putting their datapad aside. Fessk and Naruhir looked up from their work as well. “And keep it down, Master Tiin is meditating close to us.”

“Master Obi-Wan and I were invited to the Senate Gala tomorrow evening! By the Chancellor himself!” Anakin answered in a quieter voice than before, but he still broadcast his excitement into his surroundings.

“You have my sympathies”, Elon said at the same time Fessk asked incredulously: “Why? What did you do?”

Anakin thought his friends would be happy with him, and instead he was being questioned. But he could sense only honest curiosity from Fessk, wry amusement from Elon and, like so often, Naruhir’s mind was hard at work, possibly sorting through dozens of different rumors and overheard conversations. How she did it, Anakin had no idea, but Naruhir was often overlooked – even by powerful Jedi Masters.

“This is another thing I’m missing, isn’t it?” Anakin asked. Naruhir snapped out of her mental database and explained.

“Usually it’s Jedi who recently did something important for the Republic who get invited to these things. As far as any of us know, neither you nor your Master did something recently to warrant such an invitation... Unless you’ve been holding out on us?”

That explained it then. “But there was Naboo, right? Obi-Wan killed a Sith and I blew up the control ship.”

Elon snorted. “That was, what, two months ago? In galactic news it might as well have been a year. No, Ani, what you have here is blatant favoritism by the Chancellor towards you. Fair warning, this will not help your position among the Jedi at all. Many were against your training from the start and they will hold the fact against you that you’re getting outside help to improve your standing.” Oh. That put a different spin on things. Anakin hadn’t considered the opinions of other Jedi before.

“Not you, though?” he asked Elon. Being the only other padawan in their group made Elon a bit special to Anakin. They could talk about padawan things together, the advanced lessons they had to prepare them for going on missions, and of course their Masters who each had their own special brand of insanity.

“Nah”, Elon said dismissively, “Master Aryn bitches about stupid politicians at least once a week, and she tells me constantly to avoid politics whenever possible.”

At least he wouldn’t lose a friend over this. Anakin thought about it. That the most powerful person in the Republic had invited him personally had been cause for joy before. But now it seemed that it would cause more problems for Anakin than he expected. At that moment the words of the first lesson his mother had taught him came to mind: _Always try to avoid the attention of a powerful man, Ani. It is almost never a good thing_. But the Chancellor had seemed nice when they had been talking on Naboo while Obi-Wan had been preparing for Qui-Gon’s funeral. At this Anakin’s long ingrained slave instincts suddenly sat up and took notice. _Isn’t it curious that he showed up only when Obi-Wan wasn’t there?_ Anakin slowly started to freak out, but snapped out of his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you alright, Ani?” Fessk asked, worry clear in his voice.

“I’m fine. It’s something I’ll have to speak with Obi-Wan about, that’s all.”

“If you’re sure. We still have to revise for Core History”, Naruhir reminded them, “but we’re here if you need something.” The words and the sincerity behind them made Anakin smile and let him calm down. He lost himself in studying and banter with his friends.

 

After their study session was concluded, Anakin returned to his and Obi-Wan’s quarters. His Master was exactly as he’d left him, sitting on the couch with a pot of tea in front of him and looking deeply in thought. And…yes the tiny frown that always showed up when Obi-Wan was feeling troubled was also there. It seemed Obi-Wan was sharing his friend’s worries over the invitation and maybe the Chancellor… Anakin’s thoughts returned to the swirly mess of old instincts, suspicion and confusion.

“Anakin, what’s the matter?” Obi-wan asked, sounding worried.

“It’s just that…I don’t know…” Anakin didn’t know how to put his thoughts into words.

“Ah, one of those conversations. Come, Anakin.” Obi-Wan led Anakin towards the meditation mat, where they sat across from each other and stretched out his hands which he had done ever since Anakin had confessed that his problems with meditation didn’t come from trouble reaching the Force, but from the sensation being too much, too quickly. It had been another of Obi-Wan’s facepalming moments and he had explained that since Anakin was stronger in the Force than average, his reach would be farther. But as he wasn’t raised from birth with the sensation of the Force and other beings nearby swirling around him, the whole thing was a shock to his system and could cause sensory overload. Now, when they meditated together, Obi-wan stretched out his Force sense to wrap around Anakin, creating a shield and dampening the sensations. It reminded Anakin of the time Obi-Wan had commandeered Knight Kit Fisto to teach Anakin to swim. During the first lesson, Fisto had held Anakin afloat letting him get used to the way he moved through water. Now, Obi-Wan held him safe in the sea of the Force, not letting Anakin drown, and so he could experience the calming effect of the Force without worrying about being overwhelmed.

“Now, tell me what’s troubling you, Padawan”, Obi-Wan said, his voice comforting and sounding like home. Anakin took a deep breath, letting the Force calm him.

“Naruhir, Elon and Fessk told me that the invitation to the gala was favoritism and that some Jedi won’t like it.”

“She’s right. But I would think that they are smart enough not to blame you for it. And those who do, well, we’ll just have to deal with them.” Anakin had seriously the best Master ever.  Ever calm and following the Jedi path while helping Anakin to find his way and not judging him for his troubles or different point of view. But if you pushed him, Obi-Wan pushed back, strong enough to throw you off the nearest platform or out of the window.

“But that’s not all, is it?” Obi-Wan asked.

“No, I was thinking about…Well, why would the Chancellor invite _me_? I mean, I’m just a boy. And old men taking interest in young boys has never been a good thing in my experience.” There was a flash of agitation before Obi-Wan released it into the Force.

“I wish you wouldn’t be aware of that. But I agree with you, it is very troubling. It might be that he’s only grateful for you saving Naboo, but still, I’m worried. Honestly, I would prefer you not attending the gala at all, but we’re in no position to refuse a direct invitation from the Chancellor and it’s too late to arrange a convenient mission for us.”  What? Obi-Wan’s words replaced Anakin’s worry with sudden interest.

“Are you arranging convenient missions often?” Anakin asked incredulously.

“You have no idea, young one. Even if it was mostly for getting Qui-Gon out of the way so I could get some actual work done”, Obi-Wan noticed Anakin’s expression of confused delight, “and yes, I’m going to tell you about it.”

Storytime with Obi-Wan was always fun, and happened more frequently as Obi-Wan dealt with his grief over Qui-Gon, especially since he had started seeing a mind healer. “Awesome. But what are we going to do about the gala?”

“Not much we can do about it, we’ll just have to keep our eyes and ears open and hope for the best”

 

On the next day, Obi-Wan and Anakin made the final preparations for their gala attendance that evening, including picking up their formal robes from the quartermaster and, of course, giving Anakin a crash course in politics.

“All, right Anakin. Please repeat your instructions and then we’ll talk about any questions you have about them”, Obi-Wan asked once they had settled on the couch.

“Give a deep bow in greeting, don’t offer handshakes but accept them when offered. Only speak when spoken to, don’t contradict you or the Council in public, don’t ask questions”, Anakin rattled off. “The first part is obvious, that’s just manners, but I don’t understand the reasons for the second part at all. Behaving like that makes me little more than a serving droid.”

“Welcome to politics, Padawan. Let’s see, how to explain it? Well, I’m sure you have been to a marketplace before.” Obi-Wan looked at Anakin.

“Yes.” Anakin nodded

“Politics is basically a big market. At first glance you can’t tell the honest traders from those that want to rip you off and everyone has different goals. There is also the occasional pickpocket who may or may not be employed by one of the big traders.” That was at least something Anakin could understand.

“So you don’t show when you really want something because that will increase the prize. And the most successful people will not necessarily be the ones with the best wares, but the ones who are best at haggling. And don’t speak about any secrets, because you don’t know who might listen. Right?”

“Exactly.” Obi-Wan gave him a proud smile that made Anakin’s insides feel very warm. “The relationship between the Jedi Order and the Senate is a complicated one. The Jedi are first of all peacekeepers who serve the greater good of the galaxy. But we also stand in service to the Senate which makes the edges of our duties a bit wobbly. There are senators who believe the Jedi to be their servants and they try to use their power and us to further their own goals. There is a constant struggle as well to put the Order under more direct oversight, which would make it more difficult for the Council to send Jedi on missions independent from the Senate. To put it into perspective, there are some Jedi who work against slavers or pirates. But both the amount of money and the number of knights for that purpose is very limited indeed.”

Obi-Wan gave a derisive snort. “Helping the our people on the Outer Rim or freeing slaves isn’t very high up on the list for most senators. Not if it might affect their home planets or more importantly, their check books.”

“But…that’s unfair. You should always help people if you can!” Anakin exclaimed, appaled. “Is that why Qui-Gon didn’t free Mom? Because it wasn’t part of the mission he was sent on?”

“Yes, Anakin, it isn’t fair at all. Although you’re only partially right. Qui-Gon didn’t free your mother because we had no money. If he could have used the credits we had with us to buy her, he would have done so. If the Senate had complained about it, the Order would have reimbursed them later.”

“So the Jedi want to help the slaves, but don’t have the means to do so?”

“Indeed. All, or at least most, Jedi know how to bend their mission parameters to help as many people as possible, even when their orders from the Senate are against it. But you understand now why an opinion or question uttered by a young and unsuspecting padawan could lead to difficulties later on. You aren’t yet ready for the complicated dance that is political conversation so it would be best for you to be silent. With me so far?”

“Yes, I get it now. If you mention something about a mission that wasn’t supposed to happen, the Senate will complain to the Council and it will be awful all around. But I will get to be more than a window dressing at some point?” Anakin asked, although honestly so far politics didn’t sound all that fun.

“Yes, eventually. You will learn the basics just like every padawan and we’ll see if diplomacy is a path you wish to pursue. For that you will need to learn not only to hear what people say, but how they say it and if they meant to say it. You have to hear what they don’t say and what they mean and all of that can be different from the words they use.” Anakin was almost certain that Obi-Wan enjoyed that last part immensely for all that he had been bitching about politics for the last two days. Obi-Wan was all about subtlety after all, and his ability to know things people didn’t want known was apparently quite famous in temple.

 

They arrived at the Senate building and Obi-Wan took one last moment to straighten Anakins tunics. “Relax, Anakin. Everything will be fine. Now, if you get uncomfortable with anything, just give me a poke. Can you do that?” Anakin reached for the training bond that was slowly developing between him and Obi-Wan and gave a small twitch in Obi-Wan’s direction.

“Well done, Padawan. Get your game face on and let’s go.” Obi-Wan left the speeder, his detached Jedi mask already in place. Anakin took a steadying breath and let his face settle into a calm expression. Then he followed his Master out to be greeted by the Chancellor and introduced to the senators nearby.

 

The first thing that Anakin noticed after he got used to the vast opulence in the hall was the sharp divide between the senators Anakin had dubbed “respectful to Jedi” and the “disrespectful  assholes”. The first were obviously used to Jedi mannerisms and kept the proper distance between themselves and Obi-Wan as well as using bows in greeting just like the Jedi did. The latter were shaking hands and slapping shoulders and at one point Anakin had noticed the tell-tale twitch of Obi-Wan’s eyes that announced him having a vision. Well, it was obvious to Anakin, anyway. Everyone else probably didn’t notice that Obi-Wan’s face had changed at all. He had been pleased to see that Chancellor Palpatine had been in the former category when greeting them, which alleviated some of his earlier concerns. If he was not only aware of Jedi manners but also using them while speaking to one of them, he couldn’t be that bad, could he?

After a while, Anakin had moved to the side to escape the chaos. There were so many things going on; bright colors, new smells and so many conversations about topics he had never heard of before. He was glad Obi-Wan had told him to keep his mouth shut. They were representing the Jedi Order right now and it would look bad if Anakin asked a question about something he sould already be aware of. Catching up to years of Core schooling took time after all, and Anakin wasn’t yet done learning everything he had missed while growing up on Tatooine. All the new impressions were making Anakin’s head spin. So when Obi-Wan had discreetly nodded towards the small alcove with a burst of encouragement over the bond, Anakin had used the opportunity to hide and collect his thoughts. It was also amazing to watch Obi-Wan move through the room, with a smile and a polite nod and seemingly knowing everyone’s names. His quiet observations were interrupted by a voice behind him.

“Are you alright, my boy?” Anakin turned to find Chancellor Palpatine standing behind him.

“Perfectly alight, Chancellor, thank you for asking”, Anakin answered and bowed.

“No need for that, my boy, we’re all friends here after all”, Palpatine said jovially and _put his hand on Anakin’s shoulder_. Weeks before, this would have been a welcome source of comfort, but now Anakin was very aware just how rude it was. He managed somehow not to pull a face. _Be polite, be polite, be polite_ , his mind chanted.

“Thank you, Chancellor.”

“I’m surprised to find you here all alone. Did your Master perhaps wish to spend the evening on his own?” Palpatine’s voice was perfectly polite, as if he hadn’t just accused Anakin’s best friend and Master of neglecting him. He wanted to be everywhere else but close to this sleemo now. He sent a very strong poke towards Obi-Wan over the bond and received acknowledgment only seconds later.

“I was simply taking a moment of quiet, Chancellor. This is the first time for me to be at such an event.” He was saved from having to say anything else by the swift arrival of Obi-Wan.

“There you are, Padawan. Chancellor, thank you again for the invitation. This is a unique learning opportunity for Anakin.”

“It was my pleasure, Knight Kenobi. It is wonderful to have such a bright young mind among my guests.” At Palpatine’s answer Obi-Wan once again inclined his head.

“If you’ll excuse us, Chancellor, there are a number of people I wish to introduce my padawan to.” And in the next moment they were halfway across the hall.

“Thanks for the rescue, Master.”

“Always, Padawan.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was it for A Personal Touch. But I have plans for turning it into a series and covering both Anakin growing up and the Clone Wars and their aftermath later on. Stay tuned.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic in about 10 years and also the first I have written in English, constructive criticism is always welcome.


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